Containers



April 7, 1956 J. SULLIVAN 2,742,218

CONTAINERS Filed June 15, 1953 FIG. 2.

INVENTOR. LAWRENCE J. SULLIVAN yawn/5M ATTORNEY 2,742,218 warmers nnate-seen Sullivan, San Gabriel, Calif, assignor' to This-ini eiitidir relates to containers and provides disposable containers which can be; folded to provide a handle, so that when folded, .the device forms, a pitcher. I iThe.de /ice or the'inventio'fi maybe employed for all offtl'ie ar-rinses for'whicli a" pitcher is ordinarily emlcfsyed; and also finds great utility" as a: disposable urinal fret} ospital s'andthe'lik'e. A p i L In*esseii'6e, invention contemplates a container open at the top and having a flexible side wall. A pair of ears are formed integrally in the side wall near but below its top. These are disposed symmetrically with respect to each other on opposite sides of a fold line extending along the wall transverse to the bottom, the junctures of the ears with the wall being symmetrical with respect to the fold line so that when the container is folded on the line to bring the ears together, they may in turn be folded over each other along their junctures with the wall to leave the portion of the wall above the ears as a handle.

In its preferred form the container is nestable, for example, its side wall may be the inverted frustum of a cone so that prior to folding, a number of the containers may be nested within each other.

The ears are preferably semicircular in form, their junctures with the side wall being slanted upward away from each other. Preferably thetop of the container is notched at the fold line so that when the container is folded the handle is of a convenientshape.

To hold the tabs together after the container has been folded to provide the handle, I prefer to provide a pair of matching slots ineach ear. A rod or the like, say a match stick, may be inserted through these slots to hold the ears together.

These and other aspects of my invention will be understood more thoroughly in the light of the following detailed description illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which: 7

Fig. l is an elevation showing a stack of the preferred type containers of the invention nested together prior to folding;

Fig. 2 is a side view of one of the containers of Fig. 1 after folding to provide the handle; and

Fig. 3 is a top view of the container of Fig. 2.

The containers illustrated in the drawings have flat bottoms and inverted frusto-conical side walls 11. Conveniently the containers are made of waxed paper or the like with a joint or seam 12 extending transverse to the bottom clear to the top of the container. This joint 7 or seam constitutes a fold line and a curved notch 13 i StatesPatent 2,742,218 Rammed Apr. .17, 1956 ice a 2 shown in 1. In this undistorted form" theymay'be used as. ordinary cups. To convert such a container" into a pitcher, it is folded along; its fold line or seam until the cars come together, whereupon they are" foldedover as shown in Fig. 2, leaving the" space forr'n'e'rly occupied by the ears as the inside of a handle 18. After fold ing, the ears maybe fastened together in anyconvenient manner, for example, by stapling, but I prefer t'o fasten th'emtogether by running an elongated member 19; say a rod or match stick, through the matching slits.* The container is thus held in pitcher form with the portion opposite the handle distorted to form a pitcher rip-20.

t I claim: I

1. In aco'ntainer open at the top and having a flexible side wall the combinationwhieh cornprises a pair of e'ars formed integrally in the side wall near but; below itst'op' and disposed symmetrically with'respect'toeach orher'on opposite sides of a fold line extending along the wall transverseto the bottom, the" distance between the ears around the portion of. the periphery of the container ineluding the fold line being substantially less than the distance between the ears; around Prue balance crime 1 pe'ripheryand the jnnctures err-he e'a-rs with the wall 2. A nestable container open at the top and having a flexible inverted frusto-conical side wall, a pair of ears formed integrally in the side wall near but below its top and disposed symmetrically with respect to each other on opposite sides of a fold line extending along the wall transverse to the bottom, the distance between the ears around the portion of the periphery of the container including the fold line being substantially less than the distance between the ears around the balance of the periphery and the junctures of the ears with the wall being symmetrical with respect to the fold line, so that when the container is folded on the line to bring the ears together they may be folded ,over each other along their junctures with the wall to leave the portion of the wall above the ears adjacent the fold line as a handle while the balance of the top of the. container remains distended and open. I

3. A container open 'at the top and having a flexible side wall, a seam extending along the wall transverse to the bottom, a pair of ears formed integrally in the side wall near but below its top' and disposed symmetrically with respect to each other on opposite sides of the seam, the distance between the ears around the portion of the periphery of the container including the seam being substantially less than the distance between the ears'measured around the balance of the periphery and the junctures of the ears with the Wall being symmetrical with respect to the seam, so that when the container is folded on the seam to bring the ears together, they may be folded over each other along their junctures with the wall to leave the portion of the wall above the ears adjacent the seam as a handle while the balance of the top of the container remains distended and open.

4. In a container open at the top and having a' flexible side wall the combination which comprises a pair of ears formed integrally in the side wall near but below its top and disposed symmetricall with respect to each other on opposite sides of a fold line extending. along the wall transverse to the bottom, the distance between the ears around the periphery of the container including the fold line being substantially less than the distance between the ears around the balance of the periphery and the junctures of the ears with the'wall being symmetrical with respect to the fold line, so that when the container is folded on the line to bring the ears together they may be folded over each other along their junctures with the wall to leave the portion of the wall above the ears adjacent thevfold line as a handle while the balance of the top of the container remains distended and open, the wall being including the fold line being substantially less than the distance around the balance ofthe periphery and the junctures of the ears with the wall being symmetrical with respect to the fold line, so that when the container is folded on the line to bring the ears together they may be folded over each other along their junctures with the wall to leave the portion of the wall above the ears adjacent the fold line as a handle while the balance of the top of the container remains distended and open.

6. In a container open at the top and having a flexible 25 side wall the combination which comprises a pair of ears formed integrally in the side wall near but below its 4 Y top and disposed symmetrically with respect me ch other on opposite side of a fold line extending along the Wall transverse to the bottom, the distance between the ears around the periphery of the container including the fold line being substantially less than the distance around the balance of the periphery and the junctures of the ears with the wall being symmetrical with respect to the fold line, so that when the container is folded on the line to bring the ears together they may be folded over each other along their junctures with the wall to leave the portion of the wall above the ears adjacent the fold line as a handle while the balance of the top of the container remains distended and open, thereby forming a pitcher with a pouring spout at the top opposite the handle, and each ear being provided with a pair of matching slits through which a rod may be inserted to hold them together when they are folded over each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Wilson Nov. 9, 

